March, 2026
As the old Yiddish phrase says: “Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht” (Man plans and God laughs). 
Last Thursday, as we left our offices for the weekend, we had been looking forward to a busy couple of weeks, including a special event for our alumni community around the regeneration of our Heschel Fellows Program and a webinar exploring the transformative practice of “Commoning” within the education system.
On Saturday, February 28, everything changed…
The transition from routine to war has become a familiar, painful and all-too-familiar reality in Israel. As we prepared our families and returned to emergency routines, a missile struck the heart of Tel Aviv. It is with heavy hearts we share that one woman lost her life and over 20 were injured in that attack. Many buildings in the vicinity were damaged, including the Heschel Center’s beloved offices… Seeing our workspace, our place of gathering and collaboration, reduced to broken glass and debris is deeply painful.
Despite this developing situation in the Middle East, we would like to assure you that we are still here. As we have done for over 25 years, we believe sustainability is inseparable from the values and resilience of our society. Even as we seek to find an alternative office, our work continues with passion and determination to promote:
–Energy Resilience: We are moving forward with our NZO project, advancing microgrid policies to ensure that clinics and communities can keep the lights on during emergencies.
–Local Leadership: Our teams continue to support municipal engineers in Jewish and Arab townships, ensuring that climate planning and “triple-resilience” centers remain a priority even in times of crisis.
–Democratic Strength: We remain committed to the Lab for Citizens’ Assemblies, proving that even in conflict, informed and respectful deliberation can strengthen trust and civic confidence.
We are here to stay, fighting for a world that is more just, sustainable, and democratic. We know that better days will come, and we are grateful to have you by our side as we build that future together.
How you can help right now:
—Make a donation to help us secure alternative office space and support our staff as we continue our work.
—Connect us to potential supporters, individuals or foundations who care about climate resilience and mitigation, deliberative democracy, and responsible public leadership in Israel.
—Stay engaged, and share our newsletters with others who believe in building a just, sustainable, and democratic future.
With hope for quieter days,
Tamara & Oded